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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329204">Upon the Horizon, a Storm is Brewing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireShelle91/pseuds/SapphireShelle91'>SapphireShelle91</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Outlaw's Daughter [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Fisher of Men mission, Arthur Morgan's daughter - Freeform, Arthur is a good uncle, Chapter 2: Horseshoe Overlook (Red Dead Redemption 2), arthur is a good dad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:01:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireShelle91/pseuds/SapphireShelle91</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An afternoon by the river, fishing with two of her favourite people, Lizzie Morgan thought the clouds that had been following her family since the botched ferry job in Blackwater might have finally, finally started to clear. She had little idea that this was simply the calm before the storm.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arthur Morgan &amp; Original Female Character(s), Jack Marston &amp; Arthur Morgan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Outlaw's Daughter [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976173</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Upon the Horizon, a Storm is Brewing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>26/12/2020 Author's Note: Seasons greetings to all of you! I hope where ever you are, you, your family and love ones are all safe and healthy. </p>
<p>This ficlet can be read as a stand alone, though it is part of a series "The Outlaws Daughter", but you don't need to read those other fics to understand what is happening in this one, aside from Arthur has an eight year old daughter called Lizzie. She is his daughter with Eliza and was the twin of Isaac. She survived the robbery that killed Eliza and Isaac and Arthur finds her little afterwards hiding under the floorboards of her mother's house where she had been hiding as per her mother's instructions. Arthur made the split second decision to take her back with him to the gang, whom she had lived amongst for the past four years.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lizzie stared at the stick fortress in front of her and felt a flair of pride.</p>
<p>It had taken much of the morning to construct, tying sticks and twigs together with bits of long grass or discarded pieces of old ribbon, but her hard work had paid off and she thought their fortress looked pretty damn fine.</p>
<p>She turned to say so to Jackie, only to find him staring down at the ground where he sat beside her, drawing a whole lotta nothing lines in the dirt, his mouth pulled downwards.</p>
<p>Lizzie bit hard upon her lip.</p>
<p>She’d known, without needing to be told, that today was one of Jackie’s quiet, sad days.</p>
<p>Those awful days that Lizzie dreaded – dreaded even more than her own quiet, sad days – because they appeared without warning, turning Jackie from her cheerful and at times annoying little shadow into this silent creature who did not talk, did not play, refused to tell her what was wrong so that she might try and fix it, whatever it was, that was upsetting him so.</p>
<p>Because she had to.</p>
<p>It was her job. Her one proper job in camp, to keep Jackie happy and safe. But on days like these, it felt as if she was simply doomed to fail.</p>
<p>She couldn’t make him happy. No matter what she tried. And even if she kept him safe in body, she didn’t think his head was very safe and… how did you protect someone from their own head?</p>
<p>She reached out hesitantly, her hand lightly coming to rest upon his soft brown hair, holding her breath as she waited for him to either brush her away with a scowl or…</p>
<p>She let out a relieved little sigh when Jackie leant against her hand instead of brushing it away, as was his habit of late.</p>
<p>“Whatchu two up to?”</p>
<p>Lizzie had heard the familiar footsteps approaching them, so was not surprised by the question, but that did nothing to stop the delighted smile from spreading across her face when she looked up to find her father standing in front of them.</p>
<p>His tone was playful, but Lizzie could see, just like she had seen the moment Jackie had woken that morning, that he had immediately picked up on Jackie’s dark mood.</p>
<p>Together, they wait for him to look up from his nonsense drawing, as he blinked as if surprise at Lizzie’s Daddy’s presence before shrugging, looking torn between wanting to return to his drawing while also desiring to eat up the much wanted attention Arthur was showing them.</p>
<p>“Playing.”</p>
<p>“Anything fun?”</p>
<p>Jackie glanced from his drawings, to the fortress of sticks Lizzie had built, to finally Lizzie herself, his face screwed up in thought.</p>
<p>“I guess…” was the answer he finally gave with a small shrug, not knowing the sting his words and dismissive action caused to Lizzie’s heart.</p>
<p>Lizzie gaze immediately dropped to the ground, to her painstakingly built fortress, created in the hope it might encourage Jackie into a game of ‘Knights and Dragons’, fighting back a rather strong desire to wreck it and storm off in a huff.</p>
<p>But that would only upset Jackie and upsetting Jackie was something that turned Lizzie stomach into knots. Her little world felt wrong when Jackie was upset and was only set to right when the boy smiled, bothering her with endless questions and demanding for stories.</p>
<p>Jackie might not think much of her fortress now, in his current mood, but he would eventually, Lizzie knew this as well as she knew the sun rose from the east and set in the west, she just had to wait out this current storm of sad quietness that was infecting her little shadow.</p>
<p>“You two wanna come fishing with me?”</p>
<p>“Fishing?”</p>
<p>Her question was echoed by Jackie, his voice rising with curiousity and interest that he hadn’t shown all day.</p>
<p>“Sure. It’s about time the both of ya started to earn your keep.”</p>
<p>It it weren’t for her father’s playful tone, his words might have had sent Lizzie into a spiral of worry.</p>
<p>Had… had she done something wrong? Was her looking after Jackie not any good no more? Was Miss Grimshaw still upset over Lizzie leaving their storybook behind? Had she told Daddy about the lost book, one of Jackie’s once prize processions, and the best means of distracting him when he might go bout making a nuisance of himself?</p>
<p>She paid little mind to what Jackie and her father said, becoming lost inside her own head until she felt a solid weight coming to rest upon it.</p>
<p>“Wanna go grab your pole?” Her father’s voice was gentle, warm and Lizzie was startled to discover that they were alone, that Jackie was running off to grab…. Something?</p>
<p>His fishing pole, was it?</p>
<p>“Okay.” She nodded vigorously, and made to run off only to hesitate as she looked back at Da, “No leaving without me.” it wasn’t quite a beg, but she thinks she sees a flicker of worry – which she hates because the one thing she hates more than Jackie being upset, was her Daddy being worried and worried about her because what if… what if… - crosses his face.</p>
<p>“Don’t you be worry bout that, we ain’t going nowhere without you.”</p>
<p>And with that, her worries were gone and she was bounding across camp to hers and Daddy’s tent, snatching up her pole – the one Hosea made her a year or so back when she had out grown her old one, the one that Jackie now owned and was about to use for the very first time. - and her soft cap, the one that had Miss Grimshaw and Molly united on a common front, in their mutual hatred of it. But it was comfy and kept the sun off of her face.</p>
<p>She raced back to where Daddy stood beside his proud grey speckled Andalusian.</p>
<p>She was, however, quick to slow her approach to a walk as she drew near, for while Athena (a name she had picked up from a book – one that she hadn’t been able to finish before it was taken off her by Miss Grimshaw deeming it ‘entirely inappropriate for a young girl to be looking at’ – and had rather liked, offering it up as a possible name for Daddy, when he had ridden into camp upon the back of this beautiful Andalusian.) was not a horse who was easily spooked, but had made it as clear as day for all, right from her very first evening in camp that she liked no one but Daddy.</p>
<p>As shown from her trying to bite not just the O’Driscol boy, but also Dutch and Hosea and anyone else who dared go near her and wasn’t Daddy. Her unquestionable loyalty to Daddy reminded Lizzie a little of Bo, though Boudicca hadn’t been quite so inclined to biting folk as Athena seemed to be.</p>
<p>She politely held out her hand for Athena to sniff, greeting her in a quiet voice she had learned off Daddy to use around animals, to best keep them calm and well, less likely to bite you.</p>
<p>Jackie did no such thing, of course, he simply came barrelling back to them, fishing pole in hand, skirting a wide circle around Athena, who watched him closely with calm, intelligent eyes but made no other sign that she might find the little boy irritating and that biting him might make him less so.</p>
<p>Lizzie waited patiently, carefully stroking Athena’s neck as Daddy swung himself upon Athena’s back before he pulled up Jackie in front of him.</p>
<p>“Liz.”</p>
<p>Lizzie gave Athena a final pat before first handing up her pole and then holding up her arm for Daddy to lift her to sit between him and Jackie, her arms coming to wrap tightly around Jackie’s waist.</p>
<p>“Alright, let’s go then.”</p>
<p>Lizzie grinned as they started off, first at a walking pace before building into a leisurely trot.</p>
<p>While Jackie chattered, Lizzie let her mind drift, enjoying the feeling of freedom being on horseback brought and the wind in her hair.</p>
<p>She had hoped… back in Blackwater that is, when they had been settled in their spot for so long she might, well… she had hoped that she might have been able to talk Daddy into maybe letting her get a pony, one of her very own, to ride whenever she liked.</p>
<p>At least, once she had learnt to ride of course.</p>
<p>But now, having moved on like they had, she was pretty certain any chance of her getting a pony now was well out of the question.</p>
<p>She fought back a disappointed sigh as her attention drew back to Jackie’s chatter. He had also, she picked up with only half an interest, been talking about their old Blackwater spot too, though he wasn’t talking about ponies.</p>
<p>“I forgot a story book there. We left so quickly.”</p>
<p>Lizzie immediately felt herself stiffen at the mention of that bloody story book – didn’t matter now that it had once been one of her favourites too, she had been told off enough times now about losing it (she hadn’t lost it, she knew exactly where it was, under their tree back in Blackwater. She just hadn’t had time grab it when they had been hurrying to leave. That wasn’t her fault. But Miss Grimshaw refused to see it that way.), she found she rather hated the damn thing – and the worry over what Daddy might think over her forgetting it came back with force.</p>
<p>She wished now that she had told Daddy earlier about the missing book, so that he might not hear about it first from Jackie. But maybe because it was from Jackie he was hearing from, maybe with some luck he’d be less mad at her about it. Daddy was rather fond of Jackie after all. Everyone was.</p>
<p>Well, ‘cept maybe Uncle John, but that was whole ‘nother matter entirely.</p>
<p>“Well, I’m sure someone can get you another story book.” the promise in her Daddy’s voice almost made her smile, despite the worry in her gut.</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>They rode on wards, along the side of a river, in silence for a little while longer, until Daddy announced that they had arrived at a spot on the river that looked good to fish at before he was helping them both down and handing them their poles.</p>
<p>“Where should we stand Uncle Arthur?” Lizzie looked back in surprise when she realised that though she had started walking down the river shoreline, her little shadow was still hovering by Daddy as Daddy pulled his own pole from Athena’s saddle.</p>
<p>“Down by the shore. Come on, follow Liz. Think she’s already picked out our spot for us.”</p>
<p>His reassuring grin was enough to make Lizzie determined to find a real good spot for them to stand, rather than the mindless wandering towards the river that she had started off doing.</p>
<p>She hears the sounds of running feet and a tiny hand clutched her own free one, a smile so bright that looking directly into the sun would have blinded her less.</p>
<p>“Where’s our spot Lizbet?” Jackie swung their hands together, his head turning from left to right, his eyes bright with long missed cheer, trying to spy what might be considered ‘a good spot’.</p>
<p>“Um,” she hesitated on where they now stood by the lapping water, “here?” she threw a glance over her shoulder at her father, for a nod of approval or shake of his head.</p>
<p>Her father came to stand by them with a thoughtful expression, rubbing his chin as he looked this way and that.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think here’s good.” he said after a long while, a firm nod and a ruffling of her hair, settling uncertain butterflies in her chest.</p>
<p>Daddy handed them both bait, cheese, which had Jackie incredulous about while Lizzie took care to hook her cheese as Hosea had shown her to do when she had been right round Jackie’s age. She had seen Mac, drunk, hook his own thumb a summer or so back and was keen not to do something similar.</p>
<p>She kept an eye on Jackie when it came time for him to do the same with his own hook and cheese. Not that she needed have worried, Jackie was too smart (and not drunk), and knew almost instinctively to keep his little fingers well clear of the sharp end of his fishing hook.</p>
<p>Once again, Lizzie let herself drift into her own little world while Daddy taught Jackie the basics of fishing. It was easier to let herself drift than to feel jealous over Jackie getting more attention from Daddy than her.</p>
<p>Jackie needed the attention more than her right now anyways, she reasoned as she cast her line into the river.</p>
<p>“You know this reminds me… I taught another boy to fish once, a long time ago.” Lizzie blinked at her line, heart pounding as she peered over at her father, who seemed himself to be lost in thought.</p>
<p>Or maybe a memory.</p>
<p>Was he talking about teaching Jackie’s Pa, Uncle John, how to fish or was he talking about…</p>
<p>A lump formed in her throat, as it so often did whenever her thoughts started to straying towards…</p>
<p>She shook her head.</p>
<p>No, no… today was not the day for thinking about… for thinking of him. Or Momma.</p>
<p>She had two days a year that she let herself think about them, to feel sad and cry for them, but no more than that and today was neither of those days!</p>
<p>She sniffed and turned her full attention back to watching her line which she had started pull.</p>
<p>“Look Uncle Arthur! Lizbet’s got one!”</p>
<p>“Right you are Jack, right you are.” She felt her father’s hand upon her shoulder, “You got this Liz?”</p>
<p>“Uh huh.” she nodded, gritting her teeth as she slowly reeled the fish in, waiting for it to do the work of wearing itself out.</p>
<p>It seemed like forever, her arms aching long before the fight was over, but it was a fight she had won, and with a triumphant grin, she reeled in…</p>
<p>“Oh,” She felt her triumph deflate upon seeing the size the bass she had caught.</p>
<p>“Lizbet caught a fish!” Jackie exclaimed dropping his pole to admire the little bass flopping pathetically at the end of her line.</p>
<p>“That she did Jackie.” Her father took her pole from her, lifting it up to better inspect the fish she had caught, “A smallmouth bass! Almost as small as you are.”</p>
<p>“It’s too small, though, ain’t it?” Lizzie muttered as she poked the fish gloomily.</p>
<p>“Eh, true.” her father replied with an unbothered shrug as he unhooked the little fish, “Smaller ones like these, best to be throwing them back, give’em a chance to grow up a bit more. Liz, wanna do the honors?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” With the utmost care, Lizzie took the fish in both her hands and threw it back into the river.</p>
<p>“Bye-bye Mr Fish.” Jackie called after it with a wave.</p>
<p>“Could be a girl fish.” Lizzie pointed out causing Jackie to pause for just a moment before adding just as brightly, “Oh, okay… bye Miss Fish.”</p>
<p>There was a snort of amusement from her father but when she looked back him, his expression was his usual calm, nonsense one.</p>
<p>It wasn’t long after that before Jackie grew bored of fishing, instead wanting to go off and make something, something – Liz had a pretty good guess as to what – from the red flowers Lizzie could spy only a short distance away</p>
<p>“You can go over with him, if you want.” Daddy said as they watched Jackie run over to his red flowers.</p>
<p>“No,” Lizzie shook her head, having already had her fill of making things for the day, “I’m fine here. I wanna try and catch another fish, one that we can actually eat.” she sent a determined glare at the river, a warning to all the big fish that she was coming to get them.</p>
<p>“That’s my girl.”</p>
<p>It was nice, standing on the shoreline with her father, talking back and forth with Jackie, where he sat a short distance away, happily playing with his red flowers and occasionally cheering over the fish they caught. Well, the fishes Da caught, though Lizzie liked to believe that when she caught her good size bluegill, Jackie had cheered extra loudly for her.</p>
<p>“Hey, look at this?”</p>
<p>“At what?”</p>
<p>Lizzie looked over to where Jackie was happily holding up a flower necklace made out of red flowers.</p>
<p>“This necklace I made.” Jackie replied cheerfully as Lizzie and her father moved over to him.</p>
<p>“Necklace?” Daddy asked and for a moment Lizzie felt another flair of worry that Daddy might… well, make fun of Jackie, like Micah had done, a few days back when Lizzie had been teaching Jackie on how to make daisy chains and flower crowns. Not that she thought Da would say the mean things Micah had said to them, but well, the worry still sat in her gut that he might be annoyed about her teaching Jackie something… unmanly.</p>
<p>“For Momma. Lizbet taught me how to make them.” Jackie grinned at her – which meant he hadn’t taken Micah’s nasty words to heart, thank goodness – while Lizzie glanced nervously up at Da.</p>
<p>“I was making them and he saw me. I…” She spoke quickly, her words rambling together as she fought to get to apology quick.</p>
<p>“And you’ve done a real good job.” Her father reached out and ruffled Jackie’s hair. “Liz taught you good.”</p>
<p>“Uh huh.” and then she was being smiled at by the both of them and all was right with Lizzie’s world once more.</p>
<p>“What a fine pair of children,” Lizzie jumped at the unexpected voice, instinctively moving to stand in front of Jackie as Daddy rose to his full height, face turned towards the unwelcome newcomers. “and in such complex circumstances.”</p>
<p>There were two of them (and their horses), dressed like well-to-do city folk, but with guns strapped to their hips. One of the man walked towards them with the surety of a man who did not believe for a moment that Lizzie’s father would dare shoot him dead.</p>
<p>Or maybe he believed his companion, who had just dismounted from his horse and holding a shotgun to his shoulder, was enough of a deterrent.</p>
<p>She had definitely heard him cocking his shotgun before he set it against his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Arthur, isn’t it? Arthur Morgan.” Lizzie glanced upwards in alarm at her father, for it was never a good sign, unknown folk knowing a gang member’s name upon first meeting.</p>
<p>“Yes,” the first man nodded, with an ever so slight smile, a glint of victory in his dark eyes, “Arthur Morgan, Van der Linde’s most trusted associate.” He turned to his own associate with a knowing smirk, as if he knew everything that there was to know about them.</p>
<p>“You’ve read the files, typical case… orphan street kid seduced by that maniac’s silver tongue and matures into degenerate murderer.”</p>
<p>“Hey!” Anger rose above her fear, making her momentarily forget her one job, to keep Jackie safe and calm during bad situations like this.</p>
<p>Her father caught hold of her shoulder as she made to… well, she wasn’t entirely sure what, she hadn’t exactly thought that far ahead, just that she needed to defend her father – and Uncle Dutch – against these men, and their smug smiles, shiny clothes and even shinier guns.</p>
<p>But even as she is pushed to stand back with Jackie, mostly shielded from these two bad men, she is still able to scowl at them with all the rage her eight year old body could hold.</p>
<p>“Who you then?” She asks rudely, for once utterly ignoring her father and the looks he gives to keep quiet and make herself forgettable to these men.</p>
<p>Truthfully, she doesn’t expect them to answer her seriously, or at all. But they do, or rather the one who called her father a degenerate murder and Uncle Dutch a maniac, does.</p>
<p>With his gaze focus upon her scowling face, the man introduces himself as ‘Agent Milton’ and his partner as ‘Agent Ross.’</p>
<p>His smirk seems to grow wider as he continues because despite her best efforts, Lizzie can’t help but wince at the title of Agent. Agent, from her understanding, is just another fancy word for ‘lawman’ and they were bad.</p>
<p>“Pinkerton Detective Agency...seconded to the United States Government.”</p>
<p>
  <em>T</em>
  <em>his was bad. This was very, very bad.</em>
</p>
<p>“Nice to finally meet.” Another step closer to them, another step too close. “We know a lot about you,”</p>
<p>She felt Jackie’s hand snake into hers.</p>
<p>“Do you?” Daddy sounded calm, almost too calm but Lizzie can see just how tightly he is holding his fishing rod, how he keeps moving himself ever so slightly, to always keep his body directly in front of her and Jackie.</p>
<p>“You’re a wanted man, Mr Morgan.” She can’t stop herself from reaching out with her other free hand and grasping the edge of her father’s familiar brown jacket. “there’s five thousand dollars for your head alone.”</p>
<p>Lizzie lets out a wheezing breath, her hands tightening upon Jackie, who is pressed close to her side, and the bit of leather jacket she held.</p>
<p>That… that’s a lot of money.</p>
<p>“Five thousand dollars? For me?” her father sounded almost amused before he added, “Can I turn myself in?”</p>
<p>Lizzie hand tighten upon his jacket.</p>
<p>“We want Van der Linde.”</p>
<p>“Old Dutch?” Her Dad sounded down-right puzzled, “I haven’t seen him for months.”</p>
<p>“Is that so? Because I heard,” Agent Milton pulled off his bowler hat, wiping his brow against the heat of the afternoon sun, “a guy fitting his description robbed a train belonging to Leviticus Cornwall up by Granite Pass.”</p>
<p>“Oh, ain’t that a little…” she watched as Daddy thumped the end of his fishing pole into the sandy shore, reading tension in his every movement despite him trying to keep his tone nice and light, “old fashion nowadays?”</p>
<p>“Apparently not. Listen,” Agent Milton’s tone shifts, as does the whole way he holds his body, taking on the appearances of what he must hope they believe to be friendly and kind, but truly does not fool no one for a moment, “this is my offer, Mr Morgan,” another step closer and then another, and now he was standing right in front of them, “bring in Van der Linde and you have my word, you won’t swing.”</p>
<p>Jackie gasps beside her while Lizzie simply froze.</p>
<p>“Oh, I ain’t gonna swing anyways Agent, um…”</p>
<p>“Milton.”</p>
<p>“You see, I haven’t done anything wrong, aside from not playing the games to your rules.” Her father growled, having well given up on trying to keep things light and easy, as Uncle Hosea always told them to be when dealing with the law.</p>
<p><em>Stay calm</em>, Uncle Hosea had told her often enough when telling his tales of escaping the law, <em>when </em><em>calm you think with your head, and the law, they don’t want that, they want you angry, so you might slip </em><em>up </em><em>and they have you. You must always stay calm.</em></p>
<p>“Spare the philosophy lesson,” Agent Milton drawl in a bored tone, “I’ve already heard it from Mac Callander.”</p>
<p>“Mac?” Jackie whispered, hopefully too softly for anyone but Lizzie to hear.</p>
<p>“Shush.” Lizzie breathed as she squeezed his hand tightly.</p>
<p>“He was pretty shot up by the time I got to him,” Mr Milton continued, his eyes flickering from her father’s face to hers. Lizzie did her best to school her face to be blank, but she was fair certain she failed, “so really it was more of a mercy killing. Slow, but merciful.”</p>
<p>She thinks for a moment that Da won’t do anything, that he will let Mac’s death wash over him, but then the moment pass in a flash and she is wrapping her arms around Jackie, and trying to put as much distance between them and the three men. If there’s to be shooting, she wants Jackie to be well away from it all.</p>
<p>She watches the three men closely, trying to decide if its best to take Jackie and run for cover, or to continue hovering behind Da and the large rock they stood beside.</p>
<p>It’s a hard call, what with the Agent having his shotgun raised to Daddy’s face.</p>
<p>“You enjoy being a rich man’s toy do you?” Da snarls at Agent Milton, barely seeming to care that Agent something or other has raised his gun to point directly at his face and at close range.</p>
<p>Agent Milton, seeing her father’s anger, lets his own anger show as he crowds himself in Daddy’s space.</p>
<p>“I enjoy society, flaws and all,” he spits, “You people venerate savagery and you will die savagely. All of you.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” her father growls, “we’re all gonna die Agent.”</p>
<p>“Some of us sooner than others.” A final glare at her father, and then a final glance towards her and Jackie, Agent Milton turned his back on them all, snapping over his shoulder, “Good day, Mister Morgan.”</p>
<p>With his gun still trained upon her father, the other Agent walked backwards to his and Agent Milton’s horses.</p>
<p>“Enjoy your fishing trip kids… while you still can.” the other agent snorted as he reached his horse and swung himself up and onto it.</p>
<p>And with that, like a terrifying freak storm, they were gone and it was as if they had never been there in the first place.</p>
<p>Only, they had been and Lizzie stomach was knotting itself over and over again.</p>
<p>“Who are they?” Jackie frowned as he pointed after the disappearing horses</p>
<p>“No one to worry about.” Her father lay his hands upon Jackie’s head, turning him away from the direction the Agents had ridden off into, “No one at all. Come on, lets pack up your things and get home. Liz.”</p>
<p>Liz looked away from the retreating horses and to her father.</p>
<p>“Time to go home. Help Jackie pack his things.”</p>
<p>Lizzie nodded without a word. She didn’t think she had any words to say anyhow, she thinks that they might have been scared off.</p>
<p>Jackie’s words aren’t though, and he spends the time it takes to pack his things and get back onto Athena asking questions; about those men, and lying about Uncle Dutch and what did they mean about Mac?</p>
<p>Lizzie wished he would just stop talking, that he might be quiet as he had been that morning. Just for a moment or two, so that she could get her thoughts to settle and calm.</p>
<p>But he doesn’t, but Daddy has him well in hand, so Lizzie simply leans back against Da’s chest and tries not to think about Mac being dead, like Davey and Jenny. Like Momma and-and Zac.</p>
<p>Nor worry about those Agents who are too close, oh too close to camp for her liking – she does notice that Daddy’s doesn’t ride them straight back to camp, that he rides all around Valentine, and then up by some small community up upon a high ridge before finally heading back towards camp, so that by time they arrive, dusk was crawling in.</p>
<p>“There you are!”</p>
<p>“Momma!” Jackie reply was bright and cheerful as he was let off of Athena and practically skipped over to his mother’s side.</p>
<p>“We caught fish and-and,” He proudly presented Auntie Abigail with the necklace of red flowers he had made for her, “I made you this necklace.”</p>
<p>“Ain’t that pretty.” Aunt Abigail exclaimed as she carefully settled the necklace over her head so it sat around her neck. “Ain’t I the luckiest…” She paused as she looked back at them, at Lizzie scuffing her foot against the ground by Athena’s side while Da moved to stand with Auntie Abigail and Jackie, “Did you thank Uncle Arthur and Lizzie?”</p>
<p>“No need.” Da said as he handed over Jackie’s pole, “we had a good time.” Jackie grinned widely before he was running off towards Uncle Hosea, sitting by the fire and watching the boy’s approach with a fond smile.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Lizzie looked away from Uncle Hosea as he lift Jackie upon his knee and stared back at Aunt Abigail and Daddy. Aunt Abigail’s expression was one of concern while her father shifted impatiently where he stood.</p>
<p>“Nothing… Just met some folk.” He glanced back at her, “Listen, I better go speak with Dutch. Liz, can you do me a big favour and take our fish to Pearson, that’s my girl.”</p>
<p>Lizzie nodded and did as she was asked, but as she handed over their catch – barely registering Mr Pearson’s praise – she can’t stop but watch Uncle Dutch’s tent, watch Uncle Dutch and Da talk in fast but hushed tones, their gazes moving about camp, never stopping for a moment.</p>
<p><em>It’s a real shame</em>, she thinks sadly as Molly catches her before she can chase after her father, who is up and on Athena again, riding out of camp to who knew where, <em>I really liked this spot</em>.</p>
<p>She doesn’t fight the hold Molly has on her hand, the way she leads Lizzie to a tree at the edge of camp, with a nice view of world beyond the drop of the cliff, where they sit and Molly plays with her hair, as Molly is so fond of doing. And as she braids, Molly speaks of Ireland, of the places she has seen and the fairy tales of her childhood.</p>
<p>And for a time, Lizzie finds she is able to forget her worries and becomes enthralled by Molly’s rich voice spinning such marvellous tales, ones that rival Uncle Dutch’s speeches or Uncle Hosea own stories.</p>
<p>They spend the time before dinner like this, and during dinner Lizzie stays at Molly’s side, if only because Daddy hasn’t returned back to camp yet and well, Molly has no one else if Dutch is off thinking and planing with Hosea like he was that evening.</p>
<p>8 8 8</p>
<p>After dinner and Jackie has been put to bed, Lizzie packs up what little she owns in hers and Daddy’s tent, ready to leave in a moments notice, determined that this time she would leave nothing behind.</p>
<p>She curls up under her blankets with Lance – devil cat he may be, but he could sense her mood from a mile a way and came out of the darkness to curl against her side, purring louder than any thunder storm – by the time Daddy’s comes back from… well, whatever Daddy had gone after he had spoke with Uncle Dutch.</p>
<p>In the dim lantern light, Lizzie can see that he looks tired and world-weary again, like he had when they had been stuck up in the snow.</p>
<p>“I’m ready to go.” She says and has a ridiculous desire to giggle when she sees she’s made her Da actually jump.</p>
<p>“Jesus Liz, near gave me a goddamn heart attack.”</p>
<p>“Sorry.” She tries to muffle her giggles but when her Daddy drops himself onto her bunk – disturbing Lance with a hiss – and starts to tickle her, she knows she failed.</p>
<p>She giggles in earnest then, laughing and squirming about for several moments until Daddy re-settles her down in bed.</p>
<p>“When we leaving?” she asks again once Daddy has seated himself down upon his bunk, legs stretched out in front of him and journal open.</p>
<p>“Leaving?”</p>
<p>She nods, lifting herself up onto her elbow to stare at him.</p>
<p>“We ain’t leaving Liz.”</p>
<p>“But…” Lizzie frowned back him, confused, “them fellers, the agents by the river, they’re so near to camp and...”</p>
<p>“Don’t you be worrying bout them.”</p>
<p>“But…”</p>
<p>“Liz.”</p>
<p>Lizzie open and closed her mouth before nodding to her Da’s silent request for her to drop it.</p>
<p>She snuggled into her bedding, running her hands over Lance’s thick fur. She wasn’t quite asleep yet, but had started to drift there when her Da’s spoke again.</p>
<p>“If we go rushing off now, them fellers will be on to us, with an army of folk just like ‘em. Best thing for us to do, for now at least, is to stay put. Stay calm and do nothing stupid.”</p>
<p>Lizzie thought over that for a moment, rolling his words over in her head.</p>
<p>It made sense, she guessed, if they moved out now, with everyone and their wagons, with those Agents being so close, they’d be seen, which would be very bad.</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>She thought for a moment longer, before asking in the softest of voices for fear if she spoke too loud, fates might hear and take it as truth.</p>
<p>“We still need ta leave soon though, won’t we?”</p>
<p>Her father sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Lizzie rolled onto her back, lower lip lightly sucked between her teeth.</p>
<p>“Okay.” she looked back over at her Da, “I’m ready to go this time, promise.”</p>
<p>Her Da let out a snort of amusement.</p>
<p>“Jackie ain’t forgiving you for letting his story book be left?”</p>
<p>She couldn’t quite bring herself to return his grin.</p>
<p>“Him and… others.” She bit her lip again as her father sighed, his face sombre.</p>
<p>“Ain’t your fault it got left.” Daddy said softly, putting his journal down and leaning forward to brush a lock of hair from her face, “I’ll get you both a new book, promise. You done good with Jackie these past few weeks. I’m real proud of you.”</p>
<p>Lizzie curled her fingers lightly around his hand, pressing it against her face.</p>
<p>Her father’s expression seemed to soften further before he reached over and placed his hat down upon her head.</p>
<p>“Try and sleep. No more thinking of leaving, a’right?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Lizzie said as she peeked out from under his hat, catching her father rolling his eyes as he sat back against a crate that stood on the outside of their tent, up against his cot.</p>
<p>“Sleep.” Daddy ordered, his journal once more open in his lap, a pencil in hand.</p>
<p>She doesn’t fall asleep right away, she lies there, peering out from beneath his hat and quietly watches as he sketches, soothed by the soft strokes of his pen against the page of his journal, the sound the nearest thing she has to a lullaby these days.</p>
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